August 12, 2005
Worst Emeny?
I would have never thought that while being over here in Iraq the most dangerous place would be a Check Point and our biggest enemy would be American Troops! It is turning out that this is the case and here is an example.
This morning (12th) around 2:15 a.m., I was in the Command Post at the Check Point and I was monitoring the cameras that overwatch the area. I observe a Bradley and M1A1 Abrams tank leave the Check Point. I noticed that neither vehicle has bumper numbers, to identify the unit they belong to, and that both vehicles have ballistic glass at the gunner/loader stations and the commander's stations. They make it out of the Check Point with no problems.
About a minute later I hear the guard tower notify the person at the Military Bypass lane that a convoy is approaching. I look at the camera and it appears to be the same Bradley and M1A1 that had just left. Well, another soldier comes in the command post to get a battery for his radio. I then hear over the radio, "Hey rear, get that tank to slow down!" It was the bypass lane calling back to the Rear Traffic Control Point so I scan the camera over to the Rear TCP.
I scan over just in time to see the left front of the tank hit the support pole that is holding up an awning at the Rear TCP that weighs at least 2,000 pounds. I watch as the entire awning collapses to the ground! I could not see my soldier back there and my only thought was he was underneath the awning which is now laying almost flat on the ground. I sprint out the door and run to the Rear TCP, pushing the other soldier out of the way, that is about 75 meters away.
Thankfully, when I get over there I see the soldier running after the tank which I can hear accelerating. The tank never stopped and the Tank Commander, who is on top of the tank and can see what just happened, told the driver to keep going. I make sure my soldier is alright and I report the incident to higher.
I jump in a Humvee and try to chase down the tank. By now, they had a two minute headstart on me. I go to another FOB that has tanks and I go by a few other Check Points. I think I locate them at Check Point 1 and tell the people working the Check Point to stop the convoy. I then go up to the tank on the loader side, because barriers were blocking the Commander's side, and ask the loader where they just came from? He said, "What?" so I repeated my question and they kept driving. They were now a part of another convoy and the Check Point let them out.
I talked to the guy in charge of the check point and he said that they had problems with the convoy and they refused to tell them which unit they were with. We had the same problems, twice, earlier in the week and we found out who they are with. They are with a Task Force here and think they are better than everyone else. Well, all of this got reported up to higher and higher commanded that when the convoy returns to detain the convoy until all the required information is obtained.
I was in the Troop's Command Post after my shift and heard on the radio that the convoy was at Check Point 1 and refusing to give information. The last I heard was Security Forces were being dispatched to the check point to handle the situation. The whole situation was bad enough to wake up the Battalion Command Sergeants Major at 4:30 a.m. and believe me, that is not a good thing!
It is almost a nightly thing that a vehicle wrecks something at the check point! The awnings and spike strips at the check point have been repaired/replaced I don't know how many times! I am glad I didn't find the tank stopped somewhere because I probably would have beat the crap out of the crew!
Well, that is about it. Until the next adventure, talk to you later!
Matt Cousins
SSG, INF
EOD PSD
"We live in the Land of the Free because of the Brave!" ` Unknown
Remember: You have 1* and Check 6!
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